New Review | Ill Fitting EP Desirae Garcia

Another Haunted Windchimes member has embarked on a solo project. This time Desirae Garcia is releasing a four song EP titled “Ill Fitting.”

It’s classic. But not the glitz and glamour kind of classic, something better. The album is just as gentle as it is cut-to-the-bone raw. A feeling I often find difficult to convincingly convey.

Her vocals are gentle and eerie, yet passionate, as we’ve come to know her in the Haunted Windchimes but it’s the stripped down acoustics that set “Ill Fitting” apart from Garcia’s previous musical endeavors.

With the exception of the outro (back up vocals from Inaiah Lujan), Garcia did the entire recording, played all the instruments and wrote all of the material. Simplicity at its best.

The album is soft and slow; almost like it’s from another era, as it was recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder in her home in Pueblo. It’s the vintage resonance that makes the downhearted lyrics so relevant.

Advertisement

The vibe “Ill Fitting” gives off is darker than I would have expected, but satisfying nonetheless. Her voice is the kind of pain that’s relatable and deep and so good you’re fixated on from the first line of the first song, “Hardly Are You Lonely.”

It seems like every time a Blank-Tape Records artist takes a step away from their familiar place and releases their own EP, we writers get nervous. The familiar “what if it isn’t as good?” look sweeps across our faces as we accept the assignment.

But let’s face it, that fear never makes it past the first 30 seconds of the album. Together the Blank-Tape bunch is brilliant and on their own they carry just as much soul, if not more.

Garcia, and back up band, The Dreamers, consisting of Grant Sabin (Bass), Daniel James Eaton (Drums), Alex Koshak (Keys) and Inaiah Lujan (Guitar) will perform half of the set on April 5 at the Loft in old Colorado City with performances by Laura Goldhamer and fellow Windchime, Chela Lujan.

“Ill Fitting” marks the 26th release for Blank-Tape Records and as much anxiety we experience on each new release, there’s only one thing left to say, “keep ‘em coming.”

by Kara Mason

The Pulp is fueled by your support…

Local and independent journalism is under threat in the West and you can change that. If you find value in what the PULP does, consider a one-time contribution or subscribe for full access to the PULP.

Sign Up

Kara Mason is a longtime contributor to PULP. She covers Colorado government from the state's southern border up through the Denver metro area. She is the former president of the Colorado chapter of Society of Professional Journalists.